Distributed Approach for Optimizing Multiple Distributed Generators in a Distribution Network

Abstract

The ever-increasing demand for more reliable and flexible energy supply for customers has pushed up the distributed generation technology to the center stage in the development of distribution networks. If managed and coordinated efficiently, the distributed generators (DGs) can provide distinct benefits to the suppliers as well as energy consumers. In this paper, a distributed optimization method is proposed to coordinate the multiple DGs in the distribution network (DN) as well as to achieve the optimal operation among them. To optimize the power generation DGs in the DN is actually equivalent to solve the AC optimal power flow (OPF) problem. By defining new variables, the OPF problem is first transformed to a convex second-order cone program (SOCP) problem. By applying alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM), the SOCP problem is decomposed to the bus level, and it is then solved in a distributed manner. The proposed control enables the autonomous operation of DGs in the distribution network while still achieves the optimality. Simulation studies further demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.